Motor vehicles today are increasingly equipped with closure elements that can be operated by a motor. By way of example, such closure elements may be doors, particularly sliding doors, hatches, particularly tailgates, trunk lids, hoods, cargo space floors or the like in a motor vehicle. In this respect, the term “closure element” has a broad meaning in the present case.
An added-convenience function that is becoming increasingly important today is the automatic operation of the motor-driven tailgate of a motor vehicle. In the case of the known added-convenience function (DE 20 2005 020 140 U1) on which the invention is based, provision is made for an operator control event from the operator, in this case a foot movement by the operator, to prompt the motor-driven opening of the tailgate. For this purpose, a drive arrangement associated with the tailgate, a control arrangement and a sensor arrangement are provided. The control arrangement monitors the sensor events that occur in the sensor measured values on the sensor arrangement for whether the above operator control event is occurring. Depending on the result of this operator control event monitoring, the drive arrangement is actuated accordingly.
The above known method for sensing an operator control event by sensor allows particularly convenient motor-driven operation of the tailgate of a motor vehicle. The reliability of the operation is governed by the design of the control arrangement and of the sensor arrangement. Difficulties can arise particularly when different operators of the motor vehicle implement the foot movement in question in a totally different manner, particularly on account of different anatomical circumstances. This can result in an operator movement not being recognized as an operator control event even though the operator has executed this movement in a subjectively correct manner.
The invention is based on the problem of embodying and developing the known method such that a high level of reliability is ensured for the operation even when there are multiple potential operators.